Puempel continues to wait for first big league goal

There was a good explanation for the bags under Matt Puempel’s eyes on Saturday.

Puempel had a tough time letting go of the spectacular save Buffalo Sabres Anders Lindback made off him in the Senators’ 3-2 win Friday, robbing Puempel of his first NHL goal.

The Ottawa Senators rookie left-winger dove at a loose puck in front of Lindback and chipped the puck into the air, towards the top of the net. Somehow, Lindback stuck his stick up, preventing the puck from crossing the goal line.

“I definitely thought it was in,” said Puempel, who played his sixth NHL game. “It was a good thing I wasn’t standing up, because I probably would have put my arms up in the air. I for sure thought it was in, but then I saw (Erik) Condra with the puck.”

When the game was long over, Puempel wanted to re-assure himself. Over and over again.

“I saw the replay about 250 times,” he said. “I didn’t sleep the whole night. I just kept watching it. I made sure it wasn’t in.”

Puempel has had some other close calls in his quest for big league goal number one, including being robbed by San Jose goaltender Antti Niemi, but he says he’s earning more confidence by the game, appreciating the advice he’s receiving from veteran linemate David Legwand.

Again Sunday against Calgary, he came oh so close, rifling a shot off the post late in the second period in pursuit of his first goal.

HOME FOR HARTLEY: Flames coach Bob Hartley, the pride of Hawkesbury, was holding court outside the Calgary dressing room following Sunday’s morning skate, regaling observers with countless colourful tales about his playing and coaching days in the Central Junior (now Central Canada) Hockey League.

Hartley remembers playing for the Hawkesbury Hawks against the Bryan Murray-coached Rockland Nationals, who went on to win the Centennial Cup as Canada’s Tier II junior A champions.

Considering Hartley’s success with the Flames, it’s intriguing to wonder what might have happened if Murray had hired Hartley as head coach back in the summer of 2008. Hartley was a finalist for the position before the Senators opted for Craig Hartsburg, who didn’t last the season before being replaced by Cory Clouston.

At the time of the Hartsburg hiring, Murray said that Hartley, who has won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche, was eventually going to make a successful return to coaching in the NHL.

For the record, Hartley says he has been using 20-year-old star Sean Monahan, the former Ottawa 67’s standout, in the same roles he used to give to Joe Sakic in the Mile High City.

CAN THE HAMBURGLER STRIKE TWICE?: After winning NHL player of the week honours on March 2, Senators goaltender Andrew Hammond should get consideration a second time. Hammond went 2-0-1, with a 1.62 goals-against average and .950 save percentage in games against Minnesota, Winnipeg and Buffalo last week…Sunday marked the one-year anniversary of Mike Hoffman’s first NHL goal, scored in a 5-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets. One year later, Hoffman was leading all NHL rookies with 23 goals. There have yet to be any negotiations about a contract extension for Hoffman, who becomes a restricted free agent (with salary arbitration rights) in the summer…Since returning from the Senators to Evansville of the ECHL, Chris Driedger has posted three consecutive extra-time losses. That’s more impressive than you think. For the season, Evansville is 13-35-8…It will be intriguing to see if the Senators sign 19-year-old Tobias Lindberg to a pro contract when his season with the Oshawa Generals ends. Lindberg, who has scored 28 goals and 42 assists with the Generals, was drafted by the Senators in the fourth round (102nd) overall of the 2013 entry draft.

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